Dropping the parchment into his paperwork stack, I wonder over to Claude's workbench, having noticed the large map spread flat across it. "What's this?" I ask curiously, seeing small symbols moving across the depiction of the human earth. Small black and red banners with crests and letters adorning them are everywhere, a few of them moving quickly but some are barely moving at all.
"Oh, that is how we track the unclaimed intendeds of all of the fae. It was made long ago, by the one who instilled the magic which allows us to make our claims in the first place." He doesn't notice the furrow in my brow as he speaks, looking over the map just as I am and stops dead when he glances upward. "I'm sorry. I just recalled…" He trails off, not sure what to say and I give him a merciful smile.
"You're alright. It has been a long time." But it still stings to know I'll never meet mine.
I don't say the last part however, knowing that he didn't intend to hurt me. "Do you want me to put it away?" He asks, reaching towards the weights holding the edges closest to him.
"No, can you explain the symbols though? I'm not sure I understand what they all mean." Nodding he reaches behind him onto a side table and hands me a chart covered in small symbols. "The crests you see in the center are the family crest of the fae they belong to, which are all on that page, while the letter below the crest is the letter of the first name of the fae within the family. The color of the banner behind the crest and letter indicates black for male fae, meaning the human is female, and vice versa. These ones moving quickly are likely on planes and the others are asleep or just not moving. If the person is alive then the banner doesn't move from atop their location and if someone were to die then the banner would wash out in white before fading away completely over a few days."
I spend several moments curiously checking the symbols, and wonder if any of my cousins have human intendeds, quickly spying my family crest on the map in a few places with a 'C' displayed below the banner. "Are any of these yours?" He chuckles, nodding as he looks at the same place I am.
"Oddly, Claudine and Claudette have their matches both in Germany. Claudinia has hers in South America and mine is over here, in the southernmost part of Canada. Our symbols all appeared only a few human years ago so they are not old enough yet for any of us to venture off to find them." I'm about to look away from where he's pointing, when a symbol in North America catches my eye. It's the same crest as the rest of those belonging to my family, but the letter below it is an 'S', making my heart skip a beat. "Are you alright? You look pale." He observes, and I look up to see him examining me in concern.
"What is that?" I ask quietly, my hand almost shaking as I point to the banner nearly hidden by another unrelated one nearby.
"I…" He trails off, looking unsure, confusion clear in his voice when he speaks. "I don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I know of every banner on this map, but none have ever been in that spot before." He seems almost afraid, as though there's something wrong, and I get an idea as I reach out. The ring on my finger glows brighter, almost too bright to stare at as it illuminates the area in front of us.
"This dispels nearby cloaks, traps and barriers. I made it myself. Somebody tried to hide this."
"But who would hide that from me? I'm the one who needs to know everything about this map to properly care for it." He points out, and I can feel my blood boiling as I come to one conclusion.
"Can you tell me who he is?" I ask, barely containing myself and I snatch the paper from his hand before he takes the chart I'm holding. "Eric." I whisper to myself, popping directly to the castle as Claude stares on in concern, although it's not for me.
I ignore the castle guards apart from to wave them off as they see I am unhappy about something, sauntering through my living quarters in a matter of minutes as I gather my things. Stopping in the library I pick up several packets of information on different identities I can use, stowing them neatly away in a corner of the handbag slung over my shoulder. The larger suitcase in my hands gets set down as I put an envelope on Niall's desk with my resignation, popping to the edge of the castle grounds and walking past the barrier before teleporting to a portal on the southern coast. It's only a second before I'm stepping through, a harsh pulling sensation testing me as I grip my bags tightly so as not to lose them, landing on shaky feet and grabbing a nearby stone object for support. My vision is blurred for a second but clears quickly as I stand straight, looking around at the cemetery I seem to have landed in and silently apologizing to the headstone I'd grabbed onto. I'd picked this portal as the symbol with the 'S' on it had been relatively close to this area, my shields expanding as I start to get a read on the area.
Feeling the thrum of a barrier nearby, I walk at a brisk pace to the two-story plantation home seated in a large clearing of lush grass. A single light is on inside and I ascend the stairs as the door opens itself for me ahead, a kitchen to my left and a living room to my right. More stairs straight ahead lead me to the bedrooms and I place my bags on one of the beds before returning to the kitchen to look around. I find the local maps and info sheets in a locked box in the living room a while later, everything I need to know about the locals at my fingertips. I'd picked up separate identities paperwork packets from the library before I'd left, each one including bank account information and therefore the means to live comfortably for a while. However, I still wonder what I'll do to earn an income as I'd rather not burn through all my coffers of cash.
The shower is warm, inviting, as is the bed when I lay down and pull the blankets up over me. I'm quickly falling asleep as the portal used some of my energy to bring me across planes of existence, leaving me tired.
Sunlight wakes me as it shines in my face the next morning, my things packed away after I am dressed and ready for the day. Glancing over several photographs I'd found in the living room, I teleport to the bathroom of a hotel in Shreveport which is thankfully empty. The humans at the front desk give me a room with no problem, my room key number telling me I'm on the top floor as I get in the elevator. My door on the top floor is one of only five in a short hallway, two on either side and mine at the end as I wanted the suite with a balcony.
I'm able to sense a fair amount of supernatural in the city as I expand my shields slowly, working to become accustomed to the noise of such a large population. There's an oddly high number of vampires, I note, wondering why that is and finding that it lies with the residency of the area Sheriff as I read from the donors several floors below. The only donor who seems to know anything doesn't know much beyond that he is well respected and apparently quite old. It explains the number of undead in the area, as the younger ones tend to gravitate towards the older ones. They know they are vulnerable without holding allegiance to someone above them, and I recall Niall telling me that vampire politics can be quite brutal at times of conflict. Their government structure is more like guidelines as they routinely deviate from what they are supposed to do to meet their own ends.
A warmth in my pocket, coming from the parchment Claude gives me, tells me that I am within a reasonable distance to Eric and I intend to waste no time. There's no telling if he's human, were or something else so I know that I must simply use the paper like a compass as the warmer it gets the closer I am. Changing into more appropriate attire I don't think I will stick out in black jeans and a long sleeved black shirt in the cooler fall air. My first order of business should be to notify the local Sheriff of fae presence, since it will only cause strife later should we meet by chance. But given that it is still daylight, I meander around the streets on either side of the hotel, shopping for trinkets that catch my eye and getting familiar with my surroundings until the sun starts to dip below the horizon.
My hotel is vampire friendly and I teleport straight back to my room to put away my bags, grabbing a bite to eat from the packaged foods in the small kitchen area and making sure I'm still presentable as I go down in the elevator. I sense a small group of vampires who are in the lounge bar and I steady my shoulders, approaching as they notice me coming in and several turn around as I get closer. Even with my scent hidden I can see their interest clear on their faces, making sure that I give nothing away as I stare them down.
"Where would I find the local Sheriff?" I ask straightforward, seeming to surprise them but the tallest one stands while they all stay silent.
"Who wants to know?"
"He will wish to know that my kind are in the area." I supply instead, snapping my fingers to make a bottle of TruBlood appear on their table out of nowhere. They all glance towards it and I'm certain I hear several sets of fangs appear in their mouths. The one who spoke to me is rigid, seeming unsure of what he should do and I smile warmly. "I am coming in peace, nothing to do with harming vampires or anyone else, but I know he would wish to be aware of my presence."
My assurance seems to loosen his lips although I'm certain he's nearly growling as he speaks. "The Fangtasia bar downtown is his. His child is there if not him, she's the second in command."
"Thank you." Snapping my finger again, a gold nugget appears in the air in front of his face and he snatches it the instant it appears. "You can have that in exchange for the information."
A stiff nod answers me before I back away and turn at the last moment to leave out of the lounge room. The street is crowded as this is the weekend, the humans enjoying their time off from their jobs. Hopping around the human minds I follow them to the bar I was told about, its name unique and easy to pick up from the sea of thoughts. Wrapped all the way around the single-story building is a line of people, many of them dressed provocatively in black and red as they think it will entice the vampires. Balding and unhappy looking, the vampire stationed at the door is checking the ID's of the humans to select the ones allowed inside. "I would speak with the Sheriff, or his second in command, whoever is available." He seems unsure but doesn't protest, slipping inside for a second before returning and ushering me in with a wave.
"You asked for me?" A blond woman asks as soon as I enter, the sharp line of her eyebrows seeming to be in line with her attitude as she attempts to intimidate me with a glare.
"Are you the Sheriff?" I question, holding tightly to the card in my hands as I pull it from my wallet.
"He is out, I am his child. What may I assist you with?" She spits the words but seems to the have the foresight to know that without my identity, she shouldn't disrespect me. Handing her my card, she examines the family crest of the sky fae adorning one side before flipping it over and seeing my hotel and room number written.
"I will be in the area, for likely a few weeks at least, on a personal holiday. There should be no reason for him to be concerned of my presence, but if he wishes to speak then that is where I am staying."
"And what are you?" She asks, and I realize she doesn't recognize the fae symbol as I wonder what her age is.
"He should know, just give him the card." I inform her, not wanting to say it out loud in a bar almost entirely full of vampires. My scent shield hides my essence, but the instinctual draw that all vampires have to fairies is still present and I didn't miss the eyes of many on me the second I entered. There's no doubt that a Sheriff would have been informed of fae though as having supernatural knowledge is part of taking their position and necessary to enforce the edicts of their kings and queens. Turning around, I leave before she can say anymore and I can see through the human minds that she is glaring at my back as I leave but she doesn't act.
The end of the night comes too quickly as I find a quiet corner to pop back to my hotel suite, tired and displeased with the parchment I've been following around all night. I'm wondering if it is working correctly, the whole time seeming to be a wild goose chase as it had cooled and warmed seemingly at random at different times of the night. It would be impossible for a person to move fast enough to make it react in such a way and I wonder if I should return to Claude, but my thoughts are interrupted as I notice the message slipped beneath my door. Apparently, I have a message at the front desk and I call down, listening to the yawns of the human girl who just arrived for her morning shift, her hands fumbling as she looks through the messages.
"You are requested to appear at the hotel bar, tonight at nine, to meet with the Sheriff of area five." She reads off, asking if there's anything else I need and I ask for a wakeup call before thanking her and hanging up. I sleep soundly through the day, my phone ringing at six for the wakeup call and I thank the current front desk attendant. A long hot shower is appreciated as I relax, my hair drying beneath the attention of my towel when a knock on the hotel room door has me scrambling into a robe. Pulling it open, I thank the woman in her uniform as I pull the cart inside and nibble at the breakfast array they prepared. They'd sounded surprised when I put in my ticket for room service, asking only that the chef surprise me with anything that excluded lemon, no matter the cost. I conclude that he's outdone himself as I sample the multitude of dishes beneath the covers before I decidedly finish off a mouthwatering shrimp and noodles dish.
Putting the cart in the hallway, I make sure that I put a hotel stationary page on top onto which I've written my thanks before finishing getting ready in the bathroom. Pulling on a similar outfit to the one from the night before, I grab a dark blue shirt this time and brush my hair out one last time before grabbing my handbag to head for the door. It locks securely behind me, the food cart already gone as I go to elevator and descend to the lobby at 8:45.
There's a moment of uncertainty as I walk into the bar, the parchment with Eric's name written on it burning hotly in my pocket and I want to leave. But I know that I need to first appease the Sheriff before I can go about my night. A table near the bar is open and I take it with a clear view of the door, ordering a gin and tonic and waiting as I sip on it. A precisely 8:58 I see the blond child of the Sheriff enter, glancing around until she sees me and approaches immediately to sit down across from me. "My maker will be here in a second." She assures, ordering herself a drink as the waiter stops by a moment later and I look around as the heat in my pocket feels almost too hot.
My heart feels like it stops for a second when a tall blond man comes into the bar, his ice blue eyes meeting mine a second later. Stay away. I want to scream at him, knowing without a doubt that this must be him, and I want him nowhere near the vampires I am meeting with. If there's anything you can say about the fae for certain is that we are possessive, and I find this quite true as I wish to spirit him away from any potential danger. Each step closer that he takes seems to ease a tension I didn't realize was present in my chest until now, and I freeze when he sits fluidly next to the blond vampire across from me.
"Greetings." I'm speechless at the sound of his voice, my mind racing as I try to reconcile this with myself.